TAC expresses its appreciation to the Panel for a thoughtful and clearly written strategic report, especially for its development of the notion of the production-consumption continuum. It wishes, in particular, to thank Dr. Mike Arnold, Panel Chair, for conducting the study in an innovative and cost-effective manner. TAC wishes to acknowledge that this was possible because of the excellent cooperation that was extended to the Panel by the CGIAR Centres as well as a range of other organizations.
The report makes a useful contribution to the current deliberations on CGIAR research priorities and strategies which must address the CGIAR goal of sustainable food security. This calls for a strategy that aims towards maximizing utilizable production to meet the growing rural and urban demand for cheap food.
The report identifies a number of important strategic issues that need to be taken into account in relation to CGIAR support for research on harvest and postharvest problems. TAC is generally in agreement with the recommendations of the Panel. The Committee offers the following commentary which provides additional perspectives which must be taken into account in interpreting the Panel's conclusions and recommendations.
Production-consumption continuum
TAC welcomes the recommendation to give greater emphasis to the harvest and postharvest components of the production-consumption continuum. It considers that to achieve sustainable food security, increasing volumes of produce of acceptable quality will need to be delivered to a diversity of end users. Many kinds of loss and wastage will need to be reduced to help in lowering food prices to different consumers along the rural-urban transect. In this regard the Committee agrees with the Panel's conclusion that only through a much broader perspective can the deficiencies in research be fully assessed and appropriate steps be taken to ensure that gaps in the continuum are filled and opportunities created for income generation by adding value.
Role of the CGIAR
TAC believes that the nature of the production-consumption continuum is different for each product, and is conditioned by a variety of factors. These range from the nature of the relationship of the products to the plants and animals from which they are derived through to the degree of handling and processing required as the products move into the market. Therefore, while TAC is in favour of the CGIAR accepting the responsibility for filling appropriate gaps in the continuum, it agrees with the Panel that the CGIAR must move selectively.
This means that each Centre with a commodity mandate must have the capacity to identify bottlenecks in the continuum, and take appropriate action. This, in some cases, would require the Centre to find an in-house solution to a particular bottleneck or, in other cases, give other agencies opportunities to contribute. In undertaking the diagnostic research, each Centre will need to judge, on the basis of the socioeconomic conditions surrounding the production-consumption continuum, how to prioritize the type of research it should promote. TAC believes that contributions to market research could be made by local NGOs and NARS, and that market components should be studied in relation to local policy. Similarly, local institutions could make a contribution to research using indigenous knowledge and at the same time identify gender related issues in post-production processing. Indeed the notion of the production-consumption continuum will greatly aid the recognition of the role of women in harvest and postharvest activities and could have a great impact on the welfare of women and children.
Systemwide strategy and inter-centre collaboration
TAC agrees with the Panel's conclusion that there is a need for a CGIAR strategy which could ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in place for the Centres to identify harvest and postharvest problems. TAC would like to see that Centres by working together would evolve informal coordinating mechanisms. TAC does not believe that there is a need for a centrally organized initiative leading to a Systemwide programme. However, it would be useful to know annually how much Centres are investing in harvest and postharvest research. TAC therefore will strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of harvest and postharvest research through the existing mechanisms of internal and external reviews, and of resource allocation.
Role of the private sector
TAC believes that the private sector has a crucial role in finding solutions to some postharvest problems especially where there is a large supply of feed stock to process and where complex procedures are used. Local entrepreneurs with indigenous knowledge will also frequently be highly effective.
CGIAR mission statement and activity categories
The Panel has proposed that the present CGIAR mission statement as well as the definitions of Category 1 "increasing productivity" and Category 4 "socioeconomic, public policy and public management research" be revised explicitly to take account of the greater weight to be given to the harvest and postharvest parts of the production-consumption continuum. TAC will examine this suggestions when it considers whether review of the mission statement should be recommended to the CGIAR in relation to priorities and strategies for 1998 to 2000.
